


All the Pretty Little Animals

by fencer_x



Category: No. 6 - Asano Atsuko
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Prostitution, Alternate Universe - Stripper/Exotic Dancer, Crossdressing, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-16
Updated: 2011-08-16
Packaged: 2017-10-22 16:46:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/240226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fencer_x/pseuds/fencer_x
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Shion is dragged by his friends to a strip club. There, he meets Nezumi (bonus for drag!)" -- Kinkmeme request</p>
            </blockquote>





	All the Pretty Little Animals

**Author's Note:**

> Response to a request from the kinkmeme~

All things considered, it was _highly_ inappropriate, no matter how you looked at it. It was a weeknight, Rikiga-buchou had a wife, and Safu looked like she was on the verge of passing out from the thick haze of smoke that had settled just at face level. Why she'd even demanded to tag along was a mystery to Shion--it was a _strip club_ , and no matter how hard Rikiga-buchou tried to make it sound upscale and elegant and respectable, there were definitely some seedy characters in the audience, and the whole place left you with a chill of discomfort the moment you walked through the front door.

Shion himself would've honestly preferred being able to head straight back to his apartment and finish unpacking; living on his own for the first time in his life, and so far from home, in not only a new city but _Tokyo_ of all places… He had to look like a country bumpkin seeing the bright lights for the first time in his life, awed by the glitz and glamor around him and all but blind to the darker, dirtier bits that society tried to sweep under the rug.

He wasn't an idiot, though, and he wasn't ignorant of such places, but he was also still struggling to find his feet in the newness of it all, and while he understood the importance of making connections and forging friendships when entering a new company--Safu notwithstanding, since they'd been friends for as long as either could remember--the rush of everything was a bit overwhelming. Still, he wasn't going to keel over from a couple of hours in a risque dance club with his immediate superior who seemed intent on making Shion feel "welcome," and so here he found himself being roughly shoved down by the shoulders into a rickety wooden chair to share front row seats with his co-workers at _The Zoo_ in 2-chome of Kabukicho on a Tuesday evening in May.

At least the place lived up to its name; the dim lights and cool fog rolling along the ground gave it an exotic feel, helped along by the waitresses scurrying to and fro in revealing animal-print uniforms that made Shion blush and glance away quickly. Safu snorted at his reactions, having at last grown accustomed to the atmosphere, and sidled up closer, whispering _sotto voce_ , "Better be careful, they might lock _you_ up in here, too, if we take our eyes off you~"

Shion was about to offer a defensive retort when the house lights around the long catwalk stage dimmed and a series of whoops went up in response to a soft, rising _howl_ from the backstage area that set Shion's nerves on edge. Rikiga-buchou next to him started clapping and whistling, joined in by others when out onto the stage sauntered a short, slim young woman in a dress whose neck hung low and thigh slit ran high.

Her dark skin and hair was offset by the shimmering fabric that made up her dress, catching the lights on the stage and practically blinding anyone man enough to stare at her properly, of which Shion did not consider himself, and he politely glanced away when she paused right at the edge of the stage with her hips canted at an angle that surely must have been uncomfortable.

A sharp glissando crackled over the speakers, though, immediately setting her to dancing with sharp, staccato movements. This riled up the audience even more, and a few rowdier members started barking at her, or calling out _"Inu-chan!"_ Animals, the whole lot of them, Shion decided; workers and customers alike. The calls didn't seem to ruffle the young woman, though, who rather got into the act, shaking her ass as if wagging a tail before dropping to all fours in her elegant dress and sliding across the floor, revealing modest but present cleavage which must have particularly impressed someone, because a moment later and there was a loud yelp and "Inu-chan" was missing a stiletto, having apparently beaned a customer who got too grabby.

To her credit, she didn't interrupt her routine, and none of the others seemed particularly fazed by the incident either, one patron in the back whooping and calling out, "Inu-chan'll tear you to bits if you try to pet her!" Shion was grateful for the advice--more so for now knowing to warn Rikiga-buchou if he tried anything.

Safu to his right was frowning, nose wrinkled, and he smiled sadly at her reaction; he was grateful to have a friend with him to make the experience less awkward, but she was obviously even more uncomfortable than he was. "Sorry…" he apologized.

"Nothing for you to be sorry for," she returned stiffly, sitting straighter in her chair and placing her hands in her lap. Shion became conscious of her rather modest--even by office standards--clothing, the high collar and long sleeves likely to soon become stifling in the coming months when coupled with the skirts and tights she seemed fond of wearing. It suited her quite nicely, but was all the more stark a contrast in the present setting. He worried that she felt self-conscious, knowing a girl like Safu would never admit to such a thing. She sighed and glanced over at Rikiga-buchou, frown deepening, before abruptly standing. "I'm going to get us some drinks; perhaps that will make the time go faster."

"Thanks," Shion offered, and watched her go before having his attention demanded by Rikiga-buchou yanking on his shirt lapels. "Sir?"

"Pay attention to the entertainment, boy! This is my treat, after all--and my favorite's up next." Shion frowned and glanced around, realizing Inu-chan had departed the stage to mournful animalistic howls from the audience, and the lights were coming back up a bit. All around them, patrons were grumbling their disappointment and vacating their hard-fought positions at stage-side, grabbing their drinks and shaking their heads, now heading for corners of the bar occupied by pool and card tables. In their place, though, came new customers, each as salivating and eager as the one he'd replaced, and Shion felt another uneasy shiver creep up his spine. In his ear, Rikiga-buchou breathed in awe, "You'll never see as fine a form grace this stage as Eve, so straighten up and take her in."

Shion nodded slowly, wondering where Safu was with the drinks--he could use something to dull the senses right about now--and peered curiously around the empty stage. If possible, there were even _more_ in the audience now than for Inu-chan, and perhaps Rikiga-buchou hadn't been exaggerating when describing Eve's popularity. Was she really that beautiful?

The house lights dimmed again, and a hush settled across the floor; no loud whoops or cat-calls, only whispered excited prattling of _Nezumi, Nezumi!_ that mounted to almost a dull roar before being silenced in an instant by the rich, deep _dong_ of a bronzed bell echoing around the room.

Nezumi--or Eve, or whatever her name was--stepped out in a long, sheer dress that dragged the floor, a shawl around her shoulders and dark hair that draped over it, falling in silky, shiny ringlets that bounced with every regal step she took. It was nothing like the sultry saunter of Inu-chan, lacked any sort of invitation or sexual appeal (that Shion could tell--not that he'd been looking for that sort of thing; it was simple observation). It was a slow, stoic march that should have been boring but was instead altogether entrancing. Every eye was riveted to the long aisle stretching into the center of the room, quiet as death but with the tension of a live wire arcing through the crowd.

And then, she spoke--voice clear and full and commanding, addressing the audience as one: " _But I do think it is their husbands' faults if wives do fall: say that they slack their duties and pour our treasures--_ " She brushed a gloved hand down her side, letting it slip over the material down to the curve of her hip before brushing back up. " _\--into foreign laps, or else break out in peevish jealousies, throwing restraint upon us; or say they strike us, or scant our former having in despite._ "

She raised a finger, tut-tutting. " _Why, we have galls, and--though we have some grace--yet have we some revenge._ " She made a fist with one hand and pointed a finger into the audience with the other. " _Let husbands know: their wives have sense like them. They see and smell--_ " She brought a hand back to her face, wiping over her eyes and laying a finger aside her nose before brushing it across her lips, pink tongue darting out to nip softly, " _\--and have their palates both for sweet and sour, as husbands have._ "

Here, she let the shawl slide to the floor and began walking the stage from end to end, reciting her lines and stripping as she went--first one glove, then the other, then a slow, taunting draw of the zipper at her side before turning round and letting the dress peel down to reveal the curve of her spine disappearing into dark lace tights as she shimmied out of the cumbersome garment. " _What is it that they do when they change us for others? Is it sport? I think it is._ " She ran a hand through her hair, fingers splayed and raking long lines though the dark waves, before executing a sultry sway of the hips to step out of the dress entirely, shifting lightly onto bare feet and sauntering back down the length of the catwalk to center stage, bare, flat, masculine chest displayed for all to see. " _And doth affection breed it? I think it doth: is't frailty that thus errs? It is so too._ " She--he?--struck a wide-legged pose at the stage's edge, staring down into the crowd of eager onlookers, unwavering and unforgiving, seemingly as cold as the words falling from his lips.

" _And have not we affections, desires for sport, and frailty, as men have?_ " He raked his eyes around the room, seeming almost _bored_ with the act now, and Shion shifted in place, confused and yet as entranced as anyone else in the immediate vicinity. If Safu had returned with their drinks, he hadn't noticed. There was only Nezumi--or Eve, or did it really matter any more?--and a bare chest and bright lights and stifling quiet.

Shion breathed in sharply when Nezumi's judging, accusing gaze fell on him, struggling against his better senses not to be jerked along as Nezumi glanced away and on to the next pathetic onlooker. If he'd been in his right mind, he might have noticed the twitch to the man's lips that followed after the exchange, but as it was he was simply frozen in place, wide-eyed as the country bumpkin image he'd worked so hard to leave behind.

Nezumi slipped to his knees and then tumbled forward onto all fours, graceful and calculated, and spread his knees to crouch lower, still holding eye-contact with Shion and slinking closer. " _Then let them use us well: else let them know--the ills we do, their ills instruct us so._ " And he shifted his weight to support himself on one hand, using the other to lash out faster than any so entranced by his spell could have hoped to react, and grabbed Shion's collar with a grip strong enough to jerk him forward to crush their lips together, darting a tongue between his loose lips with a searching tongue tasting faintly of cigarettes and some sharp alcohol, before releasing him with a sharp _smack_ , sending Shion tumbling back into Rikiga-buchou's waiting grasp.

Nezumi then rose, cool and confident and completely unruffled save for a nigh unnoticeable rush to his breathing and a smile that bordered on triumphant. Hands on his hips, he ran a hand through his hair again to brush it from his eyes. "Shakespeare's _Othello_ ; act four, scene three." And without another word, he turned on his heel and padded silently down the stage and off through a side curtain, without so much as a final bow--after which the lounge area erupted in loud applause.

Beside him, Rikiga-buchou was excitedly shaking his shoulders, hissing at him, "You lucky little bastard--luckiest son-of-a-bitch here tonight, seriously!" Shion winced--at the language and the attention. "We don't have much time--Eve does one show an hour, and you'll want to take your time with her, I'm sure." He turned to Safu, who Shion now realized was standing behind them, her expression unreadable, holding two now thoroughly watered down drinks. "Safu-san, here--help me get him presentable. Take his jacket, will you. Just set those down anywhere." He waved off the drinks and instead jerked Shion up, whirling him around and straightening his shirt, ruffling his hair into a loose mess and clapping him on the shoulders again before whining in frustration. "It figures I bring you along and you go and take the goods; you just better not screw up back there. And--" He shook a finger in Shion's face. "--don't think this is any excuse to punch in late in the morning, you hear?"

Shion had no idea what was going on, but felt the appropriate response here was to nod, so he did, and this seemed to satisfy Rikiga-buchou, who immediately turned around and hailed a man in a slick suit, trading a few words and gesturing to Shion. The man nodded shortly and gestured to Shion to follow him, which he eventually was forced to do at Rikiga-buchou's gruff, "Well, go on then!" If Safu had anything to say on the matter, she didn't voice it, simply watching Shion be forcibly carted away with no idea what was going on.

"Wh--where are we going?" he eventually managed, tugging at the sleeve of his escort, but received no response. "Have I done something inappropriate? I understand it's probably not etiquette to--erm, touch the g-girls, but I didn't mean to, and if we're honest I'm actually pretty sure _she_ \--well, Nezumi-san? Erm, was the one to--"

"One guest; Nezumi," the man called out sharply when they reached a sliding door, and a moment later the panel slid back, and Shion found himself being guided through--traded off to another escort once safely across the threshold.

"Follow me," were his only instructions, and Shion glanced back in concern, almost missing his previous escort; at least Rikiga-buchou had known the man. Who was to say what was going to happen to him now that he was in a stranger's hands. His feet followed obediently, however, and he somehow managed to navigate the corridors in the bowels of _The Zoo_ with minimal difficulty, eventually coming to a stop in front of a thick wooden door gilded in gold lame. He squinted in the low light, trying to make out the name plate, but had his efforts interrupted by his guide.

"Knock three times, and only after obtaining a response may you enter. If not response is given, wait one minute and try another series of three. If still none is given, please return to the lounge." Shion's chest tightened in panic; how was he supposed to find his way out again?! He hadn't bee paying attention at all on the way here. "You may stay until, at most, five minutes before the next performance. Please vacate the premises by or before then, at the occupant's request. Enjoy your evening."

And with a short bow departed the only person who could possibly explain what was going on. Shion considered for one wild moment running after him, clinging to the edges of his well-tailored black suit and begging to be escorted back to his friends, because whatever was behind that door was probably not something he needed to get involved with at all. But he hesitated, and with that hesitation so disappeared his only chance at turning back.

He gulped, swallowing his nerves, and raised a hand to rap thrice on the door.

The lock unlatched with a loud click on the second, before he even finished.

"Took you long enough," grumbled the occupant, relaxing against the door as he pulled it open just enough to peek out at his visitor. He was still wearing the tight lace stockings, but had donned a light tank top and pulled his hair into a high ponytail. What little Shion could see of the room beyond him was decorated sparsely and smelled of the beginnings of mildew overlaid with thick perfumes and powder. "Thought you'd gotten lost. Or changed your mind."

Nezumi pulled away and stepped back over to his station, that same sway to his hips apparently evident in his private study as on stage, and Shion forced himself to glance away, instead focusing on the rest of the room. "Just…they told me to follow them, I wasn't sure what…"

He started when Nezumi let out a loud bark of laughter, slumping down onto a small, squeaky mattress in the corner. "I haven't heard that one before. So, you gonna stand there all night? You've only got maybe a half hour, you know, and--" He frowned and shook a finger. "No extending your time just cause you can't get it up again quick enough for two rounds." And with this, he pulled his shirt up and over his head, shaking the band from his hair to let it fall around his shoulders again. "And I won't do any nasty shit. If you have to ask if something's 'nasty shit', then that's probably a good indication that it is." He shifted onto the bed, poking around at the head for something he'd obviously misplaced, before realizing Shion was still standing, frozen stupidly, in the doorframe. He frowned, sighing in frustration. "Get your ass inside already. And shut the door; it's fucking annoying having everyone gawking."

Shion jerked to attention, scrambling to do as requested, and reflected in his mind that Nezumi behind closed doors was quite a bit cruder than the graceful portrait of beauty he portrayed on stage. Nezumi beckoned him closer, expression bored, and Shion took a few tentative steps closer, closing the distance between them and letting himself relax; he obviously wasn't in trouble, or else he would've been taken to the manager and not one of the dancers. He swallowed a lump in his throat and tried not to notice the plump roundness of Nezumi's ass thrust up into the air while he rooted around the edge of the mattress in search of something. Even if this was _that sort_ of place, it was rude. "Umm, your--performance. Before." Nezumi twisted around to glance over at Shion, one brow raised. "It was very nice; I enjoyed it."

Nezumi snorted and then released a small _ah!_ when he finally found whatever he'd been looking for. "You and every other drooling idiot on the floor."

Shion flushed, suddenly offended at being thought the same as all of the other patrons who'd been ogling Nezumi as he'd strutted down the walkway. He'd only been looking on in awe, hadn't he? And the others--Rikiga-buchou and the others, he could _feel_ it, quieter and calmer but just as quivering under the surface--theirs had been a decidedly more _desperate_ longing, a desire. "I--wasn't, I'm not--"

Nezumi rolled onto his back, propping himself up on his elbows and rolling his eyes with a fond curl of his lip. "Yeah yeah, I know. Why do you think I picked you anyways?"

"Eh? Picked...me?"

"You looked…" He cocked his head, raking his gaze along Shion's form. "…Sweet. Like you didn't belong." The fondness faded into a smirk now. "Like you could stand to let loose for an evening. Or, well--a half hour now, if we hurry." He scooted to the edge of the bed and tossed his legs over the side, lifting his hips and pulling the lace tights--and his underwear (if he'd even been wearing any; truthfully, Shion couldn't tell)--off in one smooth motion.

Shion actually _yelped_ , slapping a hand over his mouth. "What the--what are you _doing_?" When Nezumi glared up at him, incredulity creeping over his features, Shion continued in a babbled stream of confusion, "Sh-should I go? You need to get ready for your next act, huh? I'm sorry to have disturbed you!" He whirled around on his heel and reached for the door, but two fingers hooked themselves through the beltloops on his pants and jerked him forward until they were standing crotch-to-very-naked-crotch. "N--Nezumi…san?"

"…You are one weird dude. What the hell are you doing? Playing coy or some shit? You really don't have time for this, just so you know." He jerked a thumb to the clock on the wall. "You'd better be done, pants zipped and shirt buttoned, by five-til-eight, or you're leaving in whatever state you're in. You're cute--but not cute enough for me to miss my next act." He started shuffling backwards until his knees hit the bed and he went down, putting Shion's groin at eye-level. "You're shy, maybe? I don't mind taking the lead." He started unhooking Shion's belt, smirk widening into an outright grin. "Or--maybe you want _me_ to fuck _you_?" He lifted a brow in challenge. "I'm definitely down with that, too; it's been a while. Oh--but, you're still paying for the condom."

Shion snapped out of his dazed confusion when Nezumi's fingers dipped down to cup him through his pants, and he took a wild step back, covering himself with his hands. "Wh--what are you-- _why_ are you--you can't just touch people like that! That's--"

"Huh? You're back here in the first place 'cause you obviously want to be 'touched like that'." He added air quotes for effect, sneering. "This is on the house, you know--but if you're gonna be _weird_ about it--"

"I'm not being _weird_ ," Shion protested hotly, inching closer to the door and ignoring the fact that Nezumi was now completely naked and sitting on his bed waiting for Shion to join him. "You're the one who--I just came back here to…" He trailed off, throat going dry.

"'To…'?" Nezumi prompted, and when Shion couldn't figure out just why he'd come back here when somewhere inside he had to have at least suspected what sorts of things might go on behind the scenes in a strip club in 2-chome, he rolled his eyes and cast about for the stockings he'd discarded, toeing them on and turning around so Shion didn't have to get an eyeful. "It's a privilege, you know," he grunted, starting to feel a bit offended at the rejection. "You got the kiss--you get to fuck me. Or get fucked by me, I guess--if that's how you prefer it." He grabbed a tie from the makeup station and snapped his hair back into a loose ponytail. "It's just a business exchange; not like it has to be anything more." He glanced over his shoulder. "Unless--you're not into guys? Maybe Inukashi's more your type? I just assumed if you were in the audience for my segment, then you _knew--_ "

"It's not--" Shion bit out, and turned around, crossing his arms. "That has nothing to do with it. I simply don't want to have some sort of-- _encounter_ with a perfect stranger. It may seem old-fashioned, but I don't do that sort of thing. I only came here because my superior wanted to drag me out for a good time."

Nezumi's breath was hot on his ear, and he felt two hands pressing down on his shoulders, holding him in place. "Then you should just sit back and let me give you just that."

Shion rolled his shoulders to remove his grip, backing up against the door. "I'd rather not, thank you." Nezumi stared at him, ugly frown unmoving, and Shion worried for a moment that he'd real and truly offended him with his rejection. "I mean, that is to say--it's really just…not something I do."

"Casual sex?" Shion flushed, but nodded slowly, suddenly self-conscious; he really was in the wrong sort of establishment to go on about having _standards_ and being _above that sort of thing_ , and it really was rude to say so to the face of the person propositioning him, when it wasn't their fault he was--"Such a prude."

"Wh-- _excuse me_?"

Nezumi just laughed and grabbed his arm, pulling him away from the door and back to the bed, using the momentum to shove him down while he returned to his makeup station, slipping into the high-backed chair in front of the mirror and picking through a small jewelry box while Shion gaped in shock. "Just sit down and shut up. You'll embarrass me if you leave before your time's up."

Shion glanced up at the clock from before--still another twenty minutes. "You always--take the whole time?"

Nezumi met his eye in the mirror, smirking as he powdered his face. "Always; I usually have to kick them out. I'm _that good_."

"I'll take your word for it…" Shion allowed, turning his gaze around the room and taking it all in. Nezumi seemed to thrive on attention, on stage and off, and Shion was feeling particularly petulant at the moment from being teased. "…You live here?"

A snort. "Of course not. You think I want to sleep in the same bed I fuck in?" Shion immediately leapt off the mattress, wiping himself off and staring in horror, and this set off a new wave of laughter. "God, you really _are_ a prude. They wash the sheets." As an afterthought, he added. "Once a week."

"That's--that's--"

"My job, so don't knock it." Shion frowned into the mirror. "…And don't feel sorry for me either. It's only till I make my break anyways."

"Your 'break'?" Shion reflected on the earlier performance. "…You're an actor?"

Nezumi shrugged, threading a gaudy pair of dangling earrings through his lobes. "I don't think you can call it that yet. But this is good enough practice for now."

Forgetting why he'd just vacated it, Shion sank back down onto the bed, watching Nezumi go through his ministrations in the mirror. "You're very good. It wasn't idle flattery."

"Are you a theatre critic?"

"Well, no--but, I'm sure there are others who thought the same as--"

Nezumi shook his head, rolling his eyes. "Must be nice, being as airheaded and innocent as you." Shion looked like he wanted to protest this as well, and Nezumi cut him off with, "Yeah yeah, I get it. I should take my compliments with a smile."

"I'm being serious," Shion reminded him, frown reflecting his disappointment in being so lightly brushed off. "You really like Shakespeare?"

"Hm? Oh." A shrug. "He's not bad for a guy dead four hundred years. Plus I think it lends me a certain elegance." He flipped his hair over his shoulder and batted his lashes at Shion. "Don't you think?" Shion glanced away again to hide his blush, and Nezumi laughed loudly. "So you _do_ like me! I was beginning to think you were straight."

"I'm _not_ \--I mean, you're very beautiful, or--handsome, or I--just, you look attractive, I assume, from an aesthetic point of view, and you seem to embody several elements that most might cite as important qualities when determining a romantic partner and--"

"Did you just say I have a nice _ass_? How sweet."

"I _didn't_ \--"

"So what's your name, anyways?"

"Eh?" Shion was thrown by the rather innocuous question.

"Your name--I figure if I'm supposed to have fucked you, we'd have traded names at some point. If I'm not going to get laid this evening, I may as well at least get your name out of it."

"Oh, ah--Shion."

"Shion...nice." There was a pause, and he caught Shion staring at him in the mirror. "What?"

"Your name? You're not going to tell me it's _Nezumi_ , right?"

"Hah--yeah right."

"Eve?"

"Not even close."

"…So?"

Nezumi smacked his lips in the mirror, rubbing them together to spread the rouge he'd just applied, before shifting out of the chair and reaching for a chiffon dress dyed in pale blues and pinks. "Hmm, I think I don't want to tell you."

Shion's voice rose with annoyance, and he stood, hands fisted at his sides. "Wha--why not?!"

"I don't feel like it?"

"But--I told you mine! That's not fair at all."

"True…" Nezumi reflected, tugging the side zip up and adjusting the straps on his shoulders. "I'll tell you--if you come again tomorrow night."

"What?" Shion blinked a few times in confusion. "But--I only came tonight because of Rikiga-buchou--and I've got matters to take care of since I've just moved, and this is hardly--"

Nezumi sidled up close. "Or you can fuck me right now and I'll tell you." A shrug. "I'm fine either way." Shion flushed and pulled away, putting physical distance between themselves in case Nezumi decided to make the choice himself. "But since I'm pretty sure you won't man up to do that, you'll have to come and visit again if you want to learn my name."

A pause. "…Can I just _guess_ and you tell me if I'm right or not?"

Nezumi pulled on his shawl and sashayed over, giving a little twirl as if to say _Well?_ before tilting his head to the side and kissing Shion on the cheek. "See you tomorrow, Shion."

* * *

Shion didn't know how he'd found his way to the main entrance of _The Zoo_ again, less than 24 hours after leaving the previous evening, but he was most certainly here, still in his stifling business suit, and tragically alone this time. He hadn't been able to bring himself to explain the horrific details of his time with Nezumi to Rikiga-buchou, no matter how much he'd poked and prodded and begged, and Safu had avoided him most of the day for reasons Shion could only imagine; hell, if he'd been physically able to, he probably would've avoided _himself_.

It wasn't as if he was expecting anything, and really it was just a _name_ \--it was probably something boring and common, like _Daisuke_ or _Eiji_ or _Jiroh_ , none of which very much seemed like they were worth showing his face in the lounge to hear. But logical as his conclusions were, they did nothing to still the movement of his feet towards the ticket gates leading up to the street surface from the subway, didn't stop him from settling in at a small table for one in the back of the lounge area and ordering something light, and definitely didn't stop him from swallowing thickly to settle his nerves and nodding his silent compliance when, a half hour after arriving, the same man who'd escorted him to Nezumi's room the night before made motions for Shion to follow him again.

The corridors were still as silent and imposing, but Shion made an effort today to memorize his steps, in case he needed to beat a hasty retreat, and soon found himself standing in front of the wooden door as yesterday. He glanced at the man, wondering what sort of lecture he'd receive this time, but all that was returned was a silent nod before he disappeared around a corner, leaving Shion alone to either knock or leave. Well, he'd come this far...

This time, Nezumi called to him to let himself in, and when he did, he found the man hunched over his makeup station, concentrating intently on threading a needle. "...Did I come at a bad time?"

"Nah--I just busted a seam on one of my dresses. Sit wherever you want while I finish this."

"Do you need help?"

"Can you sew?"

"No..."

"Then sit somewhere and talk to me. I'm bored."

Shion made a face, but slipped into a rickety folding chair off to the side. "You're at work... No one actually _complains_ about being bored at work."

Nezumi smiled, finally pushing the thread through successfully. "Not out loud, I guess."

"You're sure it's okay for me to be back here?"

"They wouldn't have brought you if it wasn't." He shrugged. "I can't imagine why they'd have any problems with it--it's not like we're doing anything wrong." He glanced up at Shion. "Right?"

"Of--of course not!" he answered a bit too quickly for his own good, and struggled to recover. "That is--I mean, I'm not even sure why I'm here..."

"I told you--" He snapped off the thread with his teeth. "--You're here to keep me company; I'm bored."

"Seriously? _That's_ it?"

"You have a better idea?"

"Well, no, but--it seems an awful lot of effort to go through just to have someone to talk to."

"Really? It's not to me..."

Shion cocked his head, confused. "Why not...I don't know, one of the other girls? Like 'Inu-chan'? Or one of your fans? They hardly seem in short supply."

"Inukashi hates my guts; and one of those thugs out there? Are you insane?" Shion didn't seem to get it. "Just--seriously, one of the pit customers? Here, in my room?" Shion shrugged, and Nezumi shook his head. "You really are an airheaded idiot..."

"Then--why me? I was down there, too, after all."

Nezumi whirled around and shook the needle in his direction, frowning. "You're not like them, that's why. I picked you, and I don't pick shitheads. You're here because you're a nice guy, even if you're a little dense and really prudish. So stop asking so many damn questions and tell me about your day."

"My--day?"

"Yeah, you know. Whatever it is straight-laced guys do all day when they're not getting dragged out to strip clubs with their bosses and girlfriends."

"Safu's not my--"

"Ooh, _Safu_ , huh? Now we're getting somewhere." He stabbed the needle into a small pincushion. "Tell me how you met."

* * *

By the time Nezumi released Shion, it was nearly midnight, and the last trains were leaving soon. "I won't get off until three," he reminded Shion when he protested that he'd stuck around this long, he might as well see Nezumi off. "You wouldn't want to wander around 2-chome after midnight anyways."

"If it's so dangerous, how's it any better for you to do the same?"

"Because I've worked here long enough to know how to keep my nose clean and stay out of trouble." He grabbed Shion's wrist and began to bodily drag him to the door, turning him round by the shoulders and kissing his cheek in farewell. " _Good night, sweet prince. And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest._ "

Shion frowned at the gesture, feeling rather like a child being sent to bed by its parent. "What's that from?"

" _Hamlet_."

"I'd like to hear more."

Nezumi shook his head. "Then go to a library and read it." He laughed loudly at the pout that followed. "You'll get over it."

"Oh--but," Shion started, and Nezumi rolled his eyes at a further distraction keeping Shion from making his last train. "You never told me it."

"What?"

"Your name. You promised if I came again tonight you'd tell me your real name."

"Yeah, I did..." He tapped his chin in mock thought. "Hmm, it's late--I'll tell you if you come tomorrow then. Or--" He added with a thin smile, "I'll tell you right now if you fuck me."

Shion took a step back, hand clenched tight on the door handle. "...Well I don't want to miss my train... Good night."

And thus passed the first in a long line of such exchanges. Each day blended into the next, Shion arriving home well after midnight, having had to take a taxi the final leg of his trip and yet never finding the drive to just leave earlier, following a familiar, routine exchange of asking for a name, being petitioned to wait another day or obtain it through payment in flesh, and a flustered, hurried refusal and _exeunt omnes_. Each day Nezumi pried a little deeper into Shion's life, listening to him prattle for hours about his mother, her bakery, his very boring office, his very not-boring coworkers, Safu and her grandmother--Nezumi had bristled a bit when Shion had laughingly admitted that she'd given him his first kiss, disguised as a birthday present--and how he'd once thought of becoming a meteorologist or a park ranger, but that he'd been worried neither would help him start a nest egg to take care of his mother in her golden years. Nezumi had called him _Mama's Boy_ , and Shion hadn't denied it.

But in their time together, between acts when Shion would occasionally help him into costume or straighten a crooked pin in his hair, Nezumi never spoke much about himself or his past, or how he'd started his job at _The Zoo_ , or even what steps he was taking to free himself from it. Shion wanted to press, wanted to ask so many questions, but Nezumi always got annoyed when he probed too deeply, quickly changing topics or making up a reason to vacate the room. Still always they parted, however, with a _come see me again tomorrow, or fuck me now and I'll tell you_ , common and expected enough now as Nezumi's kisses on the cheek that Shion no long blushed or brushed off either, simple nodding and turning on his heel to catch a train he missed half the time. It was worth it.

His work life was not much affected, as office work more often required merely a present warm body than any actual interaction or attention, so Shion found himself catching the occasional catnaps, woken by Safu's attentive coughing whenever Rikiga-buchou rounded a corner. He offered her sheepish grins and bought her coffee on breaks to make up for it, but she seemed more distant and loathe to discuss why, so he was left to simply stew in worry until distracted for the evening by Nezumi's excited tales of how Inukashi had nearly sent a guy to the emergency ward earlier in the afternoon for trying to pinch her ass. It wasn't quite the ideal, _normal_ life Shion had dreamed of finding once he'd settled into Tokyo, but it was...not distasteful. Not in the least.

"And then--" Nezumi shook an eyeliner pencil at him. "The asshole had the _gall_ to try and get her arrested for assault and battery! He should be grateful she didn't sic one of those yippy mutts she keeps in her quarters on him to bite his balls off." He shivered in disgust. "Men."

"You're a man, too, you know."

"Yeah, so are you. We're heathens, all of us. Only after one thing--" He glanced over at Shion where he lay on his back on the bed counting pits in the ceiling. "Well, most of us are only after one thing."

"Hm?"

"Nothing. Come check the back of this arrangement for me--fix the pins if anything's falling out where it shouldn't be."

Shion lazily rolled onto his feet, stomping over and brushing the hair from Nezumi's shoulders where it hung in familiar ringlets. He gently tilted Nezumi's head to one side, then the other, making _hmm_ ing sounds of investigation before clapping him on the shoulders. " _Beautiful--and therefore to be woo'd._ "

Nezumi blinked in the mirror. "...What did you say?"

"Ah!" Shion laughed nervously, stepping back. "You noticed?"

"No, just...what?"

"I took your advice."

"My--what?"

"Advice? About the library? It was one of the examples from a book of famous quotes--by Shakespeare." He scratched at the side of his mouth. "I forget which one it was, though... But I do mean to read them! You make them all sound so nice--it's only a bit daunting. Do you have any suggestions of where to start?"

"Oh, I don't--" He licked his lips and coughed. "I've got--stage. A number. I'll be back shortly." And with that he was gone in a flurry of skirts and perfume.

Shion watched the wooden door slam shut behind him with a confused frown, tinged with disappointment. Another innocent question, met with avoidance and a closed mind. It was difficult to get closer to someone when they refused to open up to you on any level. What was the harm in exploring things that obviously meant a great deal to Nezumi? Was he encroaching on his space with such efforts? Was he really so thrown, uncomfortable with Shion showing interest in his own field? It wasn't as if Shion was going to tag along with him to auditions and steal parts he was up for; it was simply trying to understand, to dissect the riddle of a person that was Nezumi--or whatever his real name was.

The ten or so minutes on stage appeared to have done Nezumi some good, for when he returned, it was stripped down to a tiny pair of thong underwear with two cocktails in hand, one of which he offered to Shion and the other which he downed himself in one long draw, sighing loudly and refusing to put on pants even when Shion tossed them in his face. "It's nothing you don't have yourself," he reasoned grumpily and leaned forward to take a catnap on his makeup station, humming gratefully when Shion placed a blanket over his shoulders and told him he was a stubborn ass and also a bit of an exhibitionist.

Two sets later, and it was time for Shion to be off for the night. Nezumi had finally agreed to don something resembling clothing--a hideous purple sweater that looked two generations too old to be worn by someone like Nezumi--and Shion was finishing what was left of his third cocktail of the evening, feeling quite happy with how the evening had gone and telling Nezumi as much. "Just don't throw up until you get into the hall--that's strong stuff you're downing, you know."

"Nezumi," he called softly, reaching out with his free hand and grabbing the edge of the sweater when Nezumi passed by where he sat on the edge of the bed, in search of a missing makeup bag. "When will you tell me your name?"

Nezumi froze, then shook his head and smiled softly, repeating as always, "I'll tell you--if you come again tomorrow night." Shion frowned. "Or you can fuck me right now, and I'll tell you then."

"You know, that's getting kind of old."

"You _must_ be drunk; propositions for sex will never get old, Shion." He tugged his sweater free and bent down to kiss his cheek, as always, but Shion shifted abruptly and bumped noses with him, bringing their lips together in a soft, feather-light kiss that broke with the momentum as quickly as it had been established. A beat of silence stretched between them, Shion's eyes accusing and challenging--daring Nezumi to say something about what he'd just done, and Nezumi coughed. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

* * *

"...What's this?" The man said nothing, simply turned on his heel, and Shion stared in confusion as he was left, alone at his table and with no invitation to join Nezumi in his room, with only a folded piece of paper with an address. No instructions, no directions, no indication of what was waiting at the address, and no Nezumi anywhere to be seen. He'd waited for a full rotation--with still no sign of a frilled skirt or familiar stocking-clad leg. Was he perhaps sick? Was this a hospital address, and the number a room where he'd find Nezumi broken and bashed by a rowdy fan who'd waited until Shion stumbled home, drunk and stinking of cigarettes and alcohol to confront Nezumi about why he hadn't taken any customers in nearly three weeks now?

Shion shook his head, banishing the wild, fanciful thoughts; calm and rational was the way to approach this, just like Safu always said. There was surely a perfectly logical explanation as to why Nezumi wasn't here tonight.

"It's my night off, duh."

Shion blinked stupidly, barely recognizing Nezumi with his hair up in a bun and wearing a comfortable pair of sweats with a t-shirt full of indecipherable English phrases that he was sure made no more sense to a native speaker. "You--get nights off?"

"Don't you?"

"Well, yeah--but you've never had one before, not the whole time I've been visiting."

Nezumi shrugged and invited Shion in, directing him where to place his shoes while he shuffled back into the kitchen to check the curry. "I work odd hours; most of us only get one free day a month."

"You could've mentioned it to me yesterday..." Shion didn't know why he felt a bit hurt at the whole thing, but he did.

"Hah--you were pretty out of it last night; I doubt you'd have remembered if I'd told you anyways." Was he covering up? Playing dumb? Or did he really, truly believe that Shion hadn't done what he had last night in his right mind. Well, it wasn't an entirely faulty line of thinking--Shion himself wasn't certain what had really come over him that he'd pulled such a rash action as trying to steal a kiss from someone who typically earned their wages selling them, especially when that someone was a person he counted as a friend, but...he didn't entirely regret it either. "Come on--curry's done and there's beer in the fridge."

Dinner was a meager affair, but Shion couldn't have asked for a better evening, especially one where he didn't have to cut their conversation short every hour to amuse himself while Nezumi went out to meet the catcalls of the audience. Nezumi calmly listened to him prattle on about his admittedly boring-as-hell upcoming seminar where Shion was to present a segment on how downsizing was somehow going to _create_ jobs within the company, but perked up when he casually mentioned his mother coming to visit in two weeks since he couldn't spare the time off for Obon this year. "I'd like to meet her. It's fine, right?"

"Ah..." Shion started, chuckling nervously. "I--suppose? I mean, I can bring her down to _The Zoo_ , if you really think it's--" He cut off at Nezumi's raucous laughter. "Wh--what?"

"Oh _god_. You're such an airhead, I love you." He waved off Shion's bemusement. "I'll just ask to come in later than usual; no need to scar her for life our first meeting." It sent something warm curling in Shion's belly--his language, his acceptance, his eagerness. The fact that he thought of this as a _first_ meeting, of more to come. "I can't imagine you and your mom sitting there at the edge of the pole platform while Inukashi grinds in your face or something."

Shion flushed at the image, but turned on the defensive. "Well--I mean, I first met you when you were working, so..." He shrugged. "She'd only need to see you outside of work to know what sort of person you are."

Nezumi leaned onto the table, head supported in one hand, and he chuckled softly. "And what sort of person am I?"

Shion cocked his head, staring into space in thought. "You're...Nezumi."

A smile. "Quite the diplomatic answer." He reached forward to take Shion's plate to the sink with his own, pausing at the fridge. "You want another beer?"

Shion shook his head, resting his eyes for a moment and slowing his breathing as he let himself relax with a full belly and blood warmed by a beer after work.

"Hey." He jerked awake at a hand on his shoulder, casting around before remembering where he was. "You dozed off," Nezumi clarified, and Shion glanced up at the clock on the wall to see he'd been out for almost a half hour. "I finished the dishes while you were out--but, it's getting late. You'll miss the last train. Like usual." He smiled fondly, squeezing Shion's shoulder, and moved to straighten back up.

But Shion shot a hand out to grab the hem of his shirt, mind still fuzzy with fatigue and a bit of alcohol in his blood, and he frowned. "I can't yet, though." At Nezumi's concerned frown, he clarified. "You still haven't told me it. Your name."

Nezumi swallowed and pasted on a smile, nodding. "Yeah... But it's late now. Come see me again tomorrow. I'll tell you then." He tugged at the hem, but found that Shion would not release him. "Oi, Shion."

"And what if--I don't want to wait til tomorrow?" He could practically _hear_ Nezumi's heartbeat rising in concert with his own. "Isn't there some other way...that I can get you to tell me tonight?"

Nezumi dropped to his knees beside the table, leaning forward to make eye contact with Shion where he sat, crosslegged and comfortable leaned against the edge of the couch. "...Shion. You're not drunk?"

He shook his head, laughing. "You'll have to turn me down properly if you want to stop me this time."

"...Fuck that." He grabbed what bits of Shion's clothing he could to jerk him closer and rose up fully onto both knees, bringing their mouths together with only a bit less force but substantially more mutual pleasure than their first kiss. Shion's fingers scrabbled against his shirt, trying to grab a nipple through the thick material, and Nezumi laughed into a kiss at his obvious inexperience and eagerness. He thrust a tongue into Shion's mouth to try to instruct him how to obtain maximum pleasure this way, guiding Shion's exploring hands to show where to stroke, where to grab, where to cup and jerk and demonstrating his lessons on Shion himself.

When Shion found a rhythm he liked stroking Nezumi through his pants, he responded with a hiss of pleasure and quickly pushed him away, setting some distance between them and trying to rise up onto shakey knees. At Shion's confused expression, which looked almost comical given how his cheeks were flushed and his lips red and swollen from kissing, he reassured, "My bed's way more comfortable than the living room rug, trust me."

Shion balked. "But--I thought..."

"What?"

"You said--you don't sleep where you fuck, though."

Nezumi laughed, a harsh bark, and nodded. "I did, didn't I? Fine, new rule: I don't sleep where I fuck people who aren't Shion. Better?" The only response was a tightened grip against his hand, fingers laced tight and pressing their palms flush together as they stumbled into the bedroom.

As he wasn't at work and really neither of them could stand much more foreplay at the moment, Nezumi put little effort into a striptease and instead just started shucking clothes at light speed, pace rising as he watched Shion do the same. When it looked for a moment like he was considering folding his clothes and placing them neatly aside, Nezumi reached around the side of the bed and pulled him down, enjoying the way they bounced against the mattress like children, laughing and breathing hard and touching and stroking and having _sex_. Nezumi regained his senses quickly and leaned over Shion, who'd wound up on his back, and pressed a strand of hair behind an ear. "You're way sexier than I thought you'd be like this."

Nezumi was going to have to accept that Shion was going to be a permanent shade of red at times like this, he supposed. "You've probably had better."

Considering this for a moment, he cocked his head in thought, stroking a finger down his chest. "...What you lack in experience, you make up for by being Shion."

Shion couldn't help the way his lips quirked up at the corners from the compliment, and he tried to focus on something else--anything else--in the room besides his friend leaning over him, flushed and half-hard and looking like he'd stepped out of one of those love sonnets Nezumi liked to quote. _Let not my love be called idolatry_. "...Nezumi."

"Hm?"

"...It's not cause you kissed me that time, right?"

"...What?"

Shion shifted up onto his elbows, eyes cast down and to the side, ashamed he was even asking. "I got the kiss--I get to fuck you. That's what you said, but--just, that's not why I..." He swallowed and closed his eyes, suddenly wishing he could take back the last thirty seconds and get a do-over.

There was a long beat of silence. "...You're such an airhead, you know." A soft chuckle, and he pressed Shion back down onto his back, sitting up straight to tower over him and reach off to the side for a bottle of oil, shaking his head all the while. "Of course it's cause I kissed you, idiot. You think I picked you out of that crowd because I  _didn't_ want to fuck you?" Shion's frown grew sour, and his flush deepened in humiliation, but Nezumi leaned forward until their noses almost touched, pressing his shoulders to the bed to hold him in place. "But I'm off the clock now. So if you're worried this has anything to do with whatever happened on stage before all those nasty, ogling onlookers, you can stop thinking so hard--you're bound to break something." Shion took a half-hearted swipe at him, and Nezumi dropped the bottle of lotion onto the bed, nearly spilling its contents. "Oi oi, watch it--we need that."

"You're being an asshole."

"I'm always an asshole; if you had a problem with it before now, you probably shouldn't have worked so hard to seduce me."

"I _was not trying to_ \--"

"No need to boast, Shion. It's not polite." Shion opened his mouth like he wanted to protest this as well, but whatever he was going to say died in his throat when Nezumi rubbed a slick hand over him, fingers forming a tight ring and pressing down on his cock. "Ah--I guess I know how to get you to shut up now. Spread wider for me."

Shion flinched, biting his lip as Nezumi worked to prepare him. "This--doesn't quite feel like I expected..."

Nezumi snorted, drizzling a bit more lotion onto his open palm. "What'd you expect it to feel like? Fairy wings fluttering against your ass or something? It's sex, not an anal massage." When he noticed Shion tense at the suggestion, he laid a hand on his forearm, rubbing a thumb gently across his wrist. "It gets better though--I promise. I should know." Shion rolled his eyes. "You can try it on me next time, if you want." Shion's cock, red and half-hard straining against his stomach, perked up at this suggestion, and Nezumi laughed. "I guess you _are_ a normal guy after all."

"Sh--shut up, it's a perfectly natural rea-- _ah_!"

"Don't--tighten up, dammit, relax! You're gonna slice my dick off if you keep flexing like that, geez."

"You-- _tell me_ when you're gonna stick it in, then! Of course I'm gonna be tense when you're--"

"I'll send you a _singing telegram_ next time--just relax already!" He snapped the command with a huff of annoyance, and Shion felt a pang of guilt shudder through him, trying to relax muscles in places he wasn't used to focusing on and praying Nezumi hadn't been _serious_ about Shion possibly slicing his dick off. Could you reattach those? Hadn't someone done that in the news? How did you go about explaining how it had happened? Was there precedent? Was this sort of thing fairly commonplace among homosexual couples? _Oh god_ were they a couple now?

"Stop thinking so fucking much, geez. It's almost as bad when you're doing it all out loud..."

"Ah--sorry. I was just trying to concentrate..."

"It's better now," Nezumi reassured him, giving a little thrust for show and seating himself that much deeper within Shion. At the keening cry this pulled from him, and chuckled. "See? Not so bad once you get used to it..."

"Says--the guy--on top..." Nezumi shifted on the bed, pressing Shion's hips forward a bit to change the angle, and gave another small thrust, and this time Shion saw stars behind his eyes, curling into a ball in a sharp spasm. "Oh-- _fuck_. _Fuck_."

"Says the guy on bottom..." Nezumi crowed. "I'm gonna move some more--you'd better not come too soon, either. There's a fine line between feeling flattered and annoyed."

"You can't possibly--expect me to control that kind of thing."

Nezumi shrugged and braced his hands along Shion's thighs. "Well, I suppose if it's too soon for my liking, we'll just have to keep working at it."

Shion threw his head back when Nezumi pulled back and pressed in again to full hilt in one long, smooth movement. "Nezu-- _mi_!" With each subsequent thrust, in a gradually rising cadence, he repeated the name. "Nezumi... _Nezumi_..."

"Can't you...say anything else...?"

Shion shook his head fiercely. "'S all I can--think about-- _fuck_."

Nezumi made a noise of defeat, huffing softly. "Stop saying such ridiculously sexy things when I'm trying to keep it together here."

"You can--say my name then."

"Fair enough," he allowed, and renewed his efforts with more stacatto thrusts, punctuating every other harsh slap of flesh against flesh with _Shion Shion_ until they were coming too quickly to keep time and all he could manage was, "Shit--Shion, I'm--"

It was hard to tell between them who would get bragging rights over the other for having climaxed first, but they neither one cared too much for several long moments after peaking, both breathing too hard and trying to calm their racing hearts while lazily wondering how imperative it was that they get cleaned up before just drifting off to sleep in the conveniently placed bed beneath them. Nezumi eventually worked up the strength to roll off of Shion and strip away the condom he'd managed to roll on in his haste, listening to the sound of it slapping the inside rim of the trashcan by his bed with a satisfying _schlop_ , quite pleased with himself. "And _that_ , Shion, is how we fuck in Tokyo."

Next to him, Shion snorted his indignance. "Don't get too full of yourself."

"The best you've ever had, right?"

Shion rolled onto his side so that Nezumi could see for himself his disapproval. "Only for lack of any comparative data."

" _Any_? Seriously?" Shion flushed in humiliation, shifting over to his other side to put the problem out of sight, out of mind, but Nezumi lifted up onto his arms, straddling Shion's chest to lock him in, and lowered himself down slowly to steal another long, languid kiss of apology, nipping and kissing at the corners of his mouth. "I guess we'll just have to rinse and repeat to prove it wasn't a fluke, then." Shion giggled against his lips and reached his arms up to wrap around Nezumi's neck pulling him closer and squeezing tight enough to burst.

"I have it on good authority you're _that good_ ," he allowed between kisses. "But I do like to ascertain these things for myself." Nezumi saw no reason to object to either point.


End file.
